How Does Specialty Compounding Plastic Reduce Harmful Static Electricity?

Most people have experienced static electricity, whether from a rug or a balloon rubbed against a wall. When a person gets a static shock, it is uncomfortable but does not cause actual harm. Static electricity occurs when an object has an imbalance of negative and positive charges. Once a sufficient amount of charge resides on the surface of a material, a static electric discharge occurs. These static charges directly affect products, especially when the material is susceptible to these charges. To protect against this issue, antistatic agents are added to plastic during the manufacturing process. This is called specialty compounding, a process that creates most of the plastic parts we see and use daily. When manufacturers use appropriate antistatic plastic, then electricity can be eliminated.

Specialty compounds break down antistatic agents into two main groups:

• Internal – these are long-lasting agents blended directly into plastic, meaning the characteristics are evenly spread throughout the entire piece.
• External – These plastic parts are dipped/coated in an antistatic agent that is temporary.

There are several types of internal agents. The three most popular meet strict military specifications (MIL-PRF-81705-D). Knowing the differences between the three is important because they have different characteristics.

• Amstat-AGF – this is the longest lasting of the three, and it is often used as a gas diffusing agent.
• Amstat-H15 – this is a highly concentrated version that can also resist high temperatures.
• Amstat-F18 –this is another highly concentrated variant that gives the best antistatic properties.

For more information about antistatic plastic, you should not wait to reach out for the best specialty compounding suppliers NY has to offer.

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